Love in Which Strength Is Stronger Than Blows

“Strength is not in your fists. Strength is in the one who stands by you when you fall.”
— Mairis Briedis

A Path That Began with Trust

There comes a moment in every person’s life when they meet someone who changes everything. It is not always love in the usual sense. Sometimes it is an encounter with a person who enters your life to remain in it forever. For me, that person was my coach, Vasily Vasilievich Chernigov.

When I first stepped into the gym, I was just a young man with a fiery heart and an overwhelming desire to prove to myself and the world that I could be strong. I was searching for strength — the kind that can be measured in speed and impact. But Vasily Vasilievich understood that true strength does not live in the body but in the heart. He saw in me not only an athlete, but a human being who needed guidance to grow.

Every training session under his direction became a life lesson. He taught me not only movement and technique, but also patience, respect, and thoughtfulness. He was never loud, never forced, and never demanded the impossible. He simply believed in me, and that belief became the light that kept me from giving up.

The Father Given by Fate

Over time, I realized that Vasily Vasilievich had become what I had been missing most in my life. He became my father — not by blood, but by essence. His wisdom, presence, and inner calm became the foundation on which I continue to stand.

He knew how to be near even in silence. He never needed to ask what hurt or what was wrong, because he simply understood. He did not try to shield me from hardship; he let me face it, because he knew that only through trials does a person truly grow. There was more strength in his gaze than in any words, and sometimes his silence meant more than the entire world.

His strictness was never coldness; it was care. It was faith — the kind that made me believe in myself. He taught me that a father is not only the one who gives you life, but also the one who teaches you how to live it with dignity.

He became my support, my balance. He taught me to accept pain without losing courage and to celebrate victory without pride. He showed me that true strength lies in inner peace, respect, and the ability to love people even when life is harsh.

The Strength of the Heart

Now I understand that strength is not found in medals, titles, or trophies. True strength is the ability to rise after a fall, to forgive, and to keep walking when it feels as if no strength is left. That is what he taught me.

Through his example, he showed that a man is not the one who never falls, but the one who can rise again with dignity. He taught that a truly strong person is never afraid to be kind, because kindness itself is a form of strength. His words and deeds have become part of who I am.

Every time I step into the ring, I feel his presence. His lessons live within me in every movement. He is within me — in my thoughts, in my work, in my life.

A Love That Never Ends

Looking back on my journey, I see that everything good within me is the result of his work and his faith. He did more than teach me the art of sport; he raised me as a human being. He gave me something that cannot be bought or taught by anyone else. He taught me to love life, to respect hard work, and to value people.

If I were given the chance to choose my father, I would, without hesitation, choose him. He taught me what it means to be human.

I love Vasily Vasilievich as a coach, as a friend, and as a father. This love does not fade and does not pass. It lives within me like breath, like the rhythm of my heart, like gratitude without end.

And if one day someone asks me who made me the person I have become, I will answer with a single name:Vasily Vasilievich Chernigov.